The Irish standard., 1887-10-29
SINGULAR ANIMALS.
The Sloths, ArmadiI1os and Great Ant
Eaters of South America.

Eaters of South America.
Australia has its ornithorhynchu
and its kangaroos, and New Zealand
it's wing.less birds. Another example
of this partial distribution of animals
is found in South America, which i:
exclusively the home of the sloths,
armadi]os, and great ant-eaters.
These sluggish animals belong to the
order Edentata (toothless), which is SC
called from the TACT OF its members
having no true teeth.
The strangest thing about the sloths
is that they pass their whole life hang
ing from the branches OF trees with
their backs downward. The structure
of the BODY is especially fitted for this
peculiar position, and scarcely admits
of any other; so the sloths hang there
day and night, even while they sleep,
trusting to the grasp Of their strong,
curved claws.
Sloths feed upon the leaves and
young shoots of trees, and rarely de-
scend to the ground if they eau avoid
doing SO. In q dense forest they can
readily swing from the branches Of
one tree to another to lind a fresh sup
ply of food, and in thus changing their
abode they often take advantage Of
time when the boughs are swayed to
and fro by the wind. Bu5 SO great is
their aversion to coming to the ground,
that when the trees are standing too
far apart TO be reached in this ingenl-
Gus manner, the sloths will tlevoNs'
every particle Of foliage on the tree
upon which they are hanging before
they leave to climb into another.
These singular animals are clothed
with dull thick hair, much the color OF
the bark and moss; Sc they are with
difficulty distinguished amoues the
leafr branches, and are much safer
than OF the ground, where they have
great difficulty in walking, as taaif
curved feet and long claws prevent
their treaaing fairly on the bottom OF
the foot. For this reason they are
obliged 10 step on the inside Of the foot
and the sole is turned toward t;i1e body.
| Owing partly to this defect, and partly
to the fact that their fore limbs are
much longer than tic hind ones, their
gait is, extremely slow ano iahoiious
+, Seen under these circumstances. The
sloths appear to deserve the nama they
/ have receiyed but when really ut bonae
in the 5ree-tops Of their native forests
they climb about among the branches
will, great ease, and their movements
are not then particularly 5)othful.
| A14nadillos, on the other hand. arc
! h1,1.ro,Ying ANIMALS, and 5heir strong
! claws al'o used for digging in the earth
These creatures are chiefly remarkable
for thelG thick coat Of mail. which corl~
sists OF hard bony plates united at their
; edges. One # these plates covers tha
head, another the shoulders. and "a
third protects the hinder parts Of The
body, while between these last two
shields there is Il number OF movable
plates Of rhe same bony material e,i"
tending around the body like bands,
and allowing it to bend freely, When
these animals are attacked they buEs
row rapidly Into the ground. Some
species roll up into q bail. thus securely
protecting themselves, AT such times
the head and tail are ,1rawr close to-
gether, and tucked snusgly into little
crevice wher. the two extsel:lities oi
the shell meet, and the result is ii hAld,
solid ball, which nay be rolled about
and trampled upon without injury.
Still another phase Of life is shown
by the great ant-eater, an animal four
or five feet jn length, with q large
bushy tail, which is sometimes thrown
over his body as q shade frorn the SUM-
or which, may also be uses, to protect it
from the cold. It's long jaws are cov~
cred with skin, except at The end,
where there is an opening through
which the worna-ljke tongue is thrown
out The ant-eater. IS well as the
sloth, has curved claws, and it also
walks upon the side Of its foot. nhi,
curious animal feeds almost entirely
upon white ants. 1t tears open The anlH'
nests with its strong claws, and as tSie
inmates rush forth from their hiding
place in alarm, the huge invader tlrsssta
out it's long, sticky tongue, and swal-
lows the multitude Of ants adhering to
IT, jHl2 opaEat'oh IL !ePetee'' az aln
and again with surprising rapidity'
and large quantities Of ants are de-
voured.
Not only is this order Of toothless
animals peculiar to South America in
the present day, but here are found
likewise most OF the fossil remains Of
extinct animals Of this type, Some Of
these fossils are Interesting from their
great size. The megatherium, for jo-
stance, was an immense sloth-like ami
NAL eighteen feet in length, with bones
as massive as those of t elephant, and
the glyptodon resernbled e large al'lna-
1illo, except that it had no transverse
bands in it's shield. The body was
covered with one large plate OF bone
shaped like I. turtles she'll, aud the
glyptodon must consequently have been
I1nahle ia roll itself ul) as the arnacil-